The Ontario government has announced it will expand the Hazel McCallion Line light rail line into downtown Brampton and Mississauga, with plans to tunnel the Brampton portion of the segment.

“By tunnelling the Hazel McCallion Line into downtown Brampton, we’re helping tens of thousands of daily riders connect seamlessly to world-class transit that will extend across the region,” said Premier Doug Ford.

The next steps will involve detailed planning and design of the Brampton and Mississauga extensions, including an underground tunnel from the Brampton Gateway Terminal to downtown Brampton.

Metrolinx will study ways to optimize construction and the route’s alignment to improve connection to the Brampton Innovation District GO Station and meet the City of Brampton’s vision for Main Street and the downtown core.

The extension to downtown Brampton is approximately four kilometres. Both extensions will be tendered under a separate project from the main corridor of the Hazel McCallion Line, which is currently under construction.

The line extensions to downtown Brampton and Mississauga will offer key connections to GO Transit, Brampton Transit, Züm and MiWay routes helping transit riders save time on their commutes and reducing gridlock for drivers.

The projects were designated as a priority transit project in 2024 under the province’s Building Transit Faster Act.

The Hazel McCallion Line, which was formerly named the Hurontario-Main LRT, is part of the largest transit expansion in North America, with an investment of nearly $70 billion over the next decade to build and expand public transit and ensure the province has the infrastructure needed to keep goods and people moving.

The line was initially designed at 23 kilometres and 26 stops. It is now 19 stops and 18 kilometres.

By 2051, the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s population is expected to grow from 10 million to almost 15 million people.